The Burden of Light
by Jme-Senpai
Summary: Aqua has always been held in high esteem with a bright future as a Keyblade Master...determined to keep her light pure, Master Eraqus keeps her away while he tries to purge the darkness in Terra's heart - by whatever means necessary. It's the way things have always been, until Aqua begins to realize that driving out the Darkness requires something much greater than Light.
1. Chapter 1

Rising up into the highest rafters and vaulted architecture of the ancient hall, the resounding clang of reverberating metal striking metal bounced off the marbled walls...the shock of the impact traveling all the way from the blade throughout Aqua's being and reminding her that she wasn't the only one putting her all into the training session. After all, one day they would face each other in a similar fashion for the real thing – the Mark of Mastery – with no holds barred, and neither intended to fail.

Bracing herself against the strike to parry, she caught her opponent's visage over the edge of the great keyblade he wielded, a piercing blue. While jarring, it did little to throw her off-guard; Aqua took her training seriously, and contemplating the anomaly that was him – Terra – at close range was not something she cared to focus her attention on. It was only for a moment, after all. Magic surged through her, and he sensed it...just before she channeled it into her weapon, she felt the briefest increase of pressure of the clashed blades against one another as he launched himself backwards and away from her. A trail of coiling ice crystals followed in his wake, pursuing him, but Aqua wasn't surprised when he shattered them with the flat side of his keyblade, sprinkling the polished floor around them with a light diamond dust. It crunched beneath her armored toe as she adjusted her footing just slightly, a subtle movement as she prepared to close the distance between them and attack again...

"That's enough."

Both of them ceased immediately mid-attack, banishing their summoned weapons at the sound of their master's voice echoing throughout the chambers of the training hall. Even years later, Eraqus's presence alone commanded respect, his voice strong and resolute...descending from the observation throne like many masters before him, he approached Aqua and Terra as they stood to attention facing him, his expression stern but not disapproving.

"You both did well," he acknowledged, and Aqua felt both relief and a sense of accomplishment wash over her; they were ready.

"As you know," Eraqus continued, "my good friend, Master Xehanort, will be accompanying us tomorrow to observe your training and take note on your progress. If the two of you are to test for the Mark of Mastery one day, I suggest you take heed of what he has to say."

"Yes, Master!" they spoke in unison.

"Good." Eraqus placed his hands behind his back as he oversaw the two of them, his expression unsmiling. "I expect you to have made good progress by now. And, let us not have another repeat of Master Xehanort's _last_ visit, either...is that understood, Terra."

From the corner of her eye, Aqua caught the rigid profile at her side straighten still further to attention, though she dared not look his way.

"Yes, Master." It had been a while since she had heard him speak, took note of the quiet determination in his unflinching tone. "I won't fail you again."

"See that you don't." Hands clasped behind his back, Eraqus turned away. "Dismissed."

From her arched window high in the east tower, Aqua found herself contemplating the stars that were shyly beginning to emerge from behind the sky's orange canvas. Countless worlds, their light shining down over the ancient, barren foundations that sprawled across The Land of Departure...each of them teeming with life and love and friendship and all kinds of people that only the liveliest imaginations could conjure. As Keyblade Masters, they would be expected to travel to the far reaches of those worlds as peacekeepers, driving out the darkness and maintaining the light. One day, they might even work toward returning those worlds to their former glory, mending the severed bridges between them and restoring the great World...as Master Eraqus had often said, they were the Ambassadors of Light, and it was their duty. A duty that no one but wielders of the Keyblade could fulfill.

For Aqua, such things were hard to imagine. For as long as she could remember, she, Terra, and Master Eraqus had been alone in The Land of Departure. No other inhabitants roamed the rolling grounds, no neighborly residents dwelt within the ancient towers the way that, once upon a time, countless wielders in training had traveled far and wide to occupy, and no visitors frequented their doorstep save for one. Master Xehanort visited on occasion to look upon their progress with the wisdom and insight of a fellow master. Once as a young child, Aqua had also met Master Yen Sid before he had retired his mantle of Master and bid them adieu; he had told her stories of how he, Xehanort, and Eraqus had grown up together in much the same way Aqua and Terra, how they had trained together in the ways of the Keyblade and eventually become masters.

Except, it hadn't been the same at all. Aqua still recalled Yen Sid's stories, even though years had passed. They stood out in her memory far more vividly than an early childhood spent playing with Terra, try as she might to remember it. The tales the old sorcerer wove of afternoons sparring with his two friends, days exploring the ancient grounds, long and lively talks of the past and present and future, nights gazing up at the stars together...to Aqua, it was all just as fantastical as the legends of the keyblade forebearers that she read about in the musty books that adorned the walls of their great library. Even as she spotted Terra on the cusp of the terrace overlooking the hills and valleys of The Land of Departure, his gaze upturned to the stars the same way hers was, she knew she could not go to him, or even call out...let alone invite him to walk through the grounds and talk, study together or play board games, the way Yen Sid told her he had oftentimes done with his fellow masters in their youth.

She did not have long to contemplate it, however...in the distance, a bell tolled, and both Terra and Aqua looked toward the source of it. Slipping down from the window sill, Aqua cast such frivolous musings from her thoughts and turned her back to the stars once again.

Dinner was a sordid affair; at one end of the stretch of mythril tabletop sat Master Eraqus, his eyes warm but stern as he looked upon the humble spread. Aqua sat flanking the opposite end, facing Terra, though of course, the blue eyes she had caught sight of so briefly in their training were nowhere to be found; his gaze was cast firmly downward at his own plate, as her own should have been as well. Per usual, silence cloaked the stillness of the room, occasionally tempered with the tinkering of silverware while they ate.

"You must both be sure to rest well tonight," rumbled Eraqus, his tone imploring. "Now, I've received word from Master Xehanort. He is eager to see your progress tomorrow, but can remain with us for only a day. Therefore, please be sure that he sees you at your best."

"Yes, Master."

Despite herself, Aqua felt a flitter of nerves. Eraqus and Xehanort's expectations aside, she held herself to high standards, as well; she had no doubt that both she and Terra had improved under Master Eraqus's guidance since his colleague's last visit, but being at their best – as Eraqus had eluded to – was of great importance to her as well.

Only the best became masters of the Keyblade. And only a Master could be trusted to journey to other worlds, to see what lay beyond the barren, empty landscape that she had always known to be home, meet strangers in foreign lands and even befriend them...

"Aqua. Is something the matter? You're not eating."

Aqua started, looking toward Master Eraqus. From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of blue as Terra glanced up at her as well.

"O-oh – no. I am fine, Master. I was just thinking about tomorrow."

Eraqus sat back with a brief nod of understanding. "You've nothing to fear. After all, you are the most promising student that Xehanort and I have come across in many decades. I know you will do just fine."

"Ah-," In a sudden rush of conflicting emotions, Aqua found herself unsure of what to say or how to react. Without thinking, she found herself glancing uncertainly toward Terra, but he had already returned his gaze to his food.

"Th...thank you, Master," Aqua managed at last, quickly looking back down at her own plate as well. "I'll do my best."

She dipped back into the sudden comfort of the silence, flustered, and remained still once she was finished until Eraqus rose to his feet and dismissed them. She knew he was right, it would be best to turn in early and rest up before Master Xehanort arrived the following day, despite her nerves. Ruminating, she cleaned her place at the table and excused herself, starting back toward her tower in the east wing. It would do her well to study up on her own for a short while before settling in for the night, which meant a stop to the library was in order-,

"Aqua."

Faltering, Aqua realized when she turned that it was not the familiar lines of Eraqus's ever-sincere features that greeted her...offering a quiet, firm smile, Terra was the one who nodded to her subtly in passing, and she felt the warmth of his gaze bear down on her.

"Good job today," he murmured, undeterred by her wide-eyed stare.

A beat passed before a smile broke over Aqua's face as well, her gaze fond as she lifted it toward him.

"You too."

"Aqua! Terra!" Eraqus's admonishing tone was too close for comfort as he advanced on them, his kind eyes hard. "You know you aren't to speak with one another outside of training!"

Both flinched and stepped away from one another as though electrocuted, and Aqua hastily turned her gaze to her feet, her heart thudding for a moment.

"Sorry, Master," they spoke in unison...finding herself inexplicably self-conscious all of a sudden, Aqua excused herself hastily from the dining hall, not looking up again until she had locked herself in her room and forgetting about the library entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

As the air around her crackled with electricity and her glowing keyblade lifted high above her head, Aqua knew she had won. Below her on the polished floor, she could see her own form reflected in the blue of Terra's eyes as he gazed up at her. For a moment, they simply regarded each other, and Terra started just slightly as the end of Aqua's keyblade swung down in line with his face, the tip crackling with unreleased energy.

"Hold!" Eraqus's voice rang out across the hall, though it did not break the gaze between them. "The point if Aqua's. Come."

Aqua relinquished her blade, instead extending her hand down to Terra.

"You held back," she uttered softly as she pulled him up, searching his face. "Why?"

Terra looked away. "That's not true..."

Aqua didn't believe him. Every day they trained together, and she could tell from the moment they set foot in the training hall that morning that something wasn't right. Of course, since Xehanort's arrival, she too had been nervous. After all, Eraqus's fellow master was held in the most high esteem and commanded unquestionable power. But her nerves came from a place of determination – more than ever, she wanted to do her best, knew they both did.

And yet, Terra's expression had grown troubled upon welcoming Master Xehanort that morning, and he seemed distracted, almost drained...she knew he _was_ holding back. Most often, they were easily matched, and right before she had struck him down, she had realized too late that she had left him an opening, albeit a small one; he had lingered, and not taken it.

"At attention."

Both Terra and Aqua straightened, facing the platform on which Masters Eraqus and Xehanort both sat. Xehanort would not speak on their progress until the end, once all demonstrations had been completed, but Eraqus rose to his feet, his hands clasped behind his back as he approached them.

"Very good. You've one final demonstration to provide to Master Xehanort before dismissal." He offered a slight, rare smile. "I realize it has been a long morning for the both of you. Take solace in the knowledge that you've neared the end. You'll be dismissed from regular training sessions for the rest of the day, following that."

An intended reward, and yet, Aqua found disappointment ebbing at the corners of her enthusiasm. A day spent in silence with her books and the views of the grounds was a long day indeed.

"For the final session, you'll face not only each other, but other opponents as well. Be on your guard, and remember your past training."

"Yes, Master!"

Across the training hall, a small army of glowing orbs of Light...beside her, Aqua sensed Terra take a slight step backwards, but it was only for a moment. Both of them summoned their Keyblades back and ran toward their makeshift assailants. The orb nearest to Aqua fired a beam of light in her direction, which she jumped over swiftly before cleaving it in two with the length of her blade. The idea was to defend oneself against the orbs while remaining aware of their opponent, looking for openings when the other was sufficiently distracted. There were many factors to their success; striking down the highest number of orbs, displaying the greatest use of technique, handling multiple opponents simultaneously and still emerging victorious; it was the most challenging session of all, but Aqua felt confident.

She struck down one orb, and then another...ducking, she narrowly missed being attacked by a third. Briefly, she and Terra stood back to back, more focused on thinning the crowd than turning on one another just yet.

"...It's so bright..."

Eyes widening for a moment, Aqua realized that Terra was speaking to her...subtly, she turned her head over one shoulder, caught off-guard. Terra gave a slight shake of his head, his quiet voice almost melancholy.

"They say the light burns brightest in the deepest darkness. Is that...why it hurts to look at it?" He turned to look down over his shoulder at her as well, and she could not place the odd but gentle smile on his face; she knew her expression of puzzlement was not what he was looking for, either, as he turned away again a moment later, giving her his back.

Then, he was gone, and a group of blazing orbs were suddenly slain...Aqua, however, lingered in place for a moment, watching after him.

 _The deepest...darkness?_

Through her line of vision shot a beam of light; she ducked just in time, and cast a spiraling vine of blizzard magic at her assailant, banishing it from existence. Striking down two more, she began to draw still more magic into her Keyblade in an effort to take out a small cluster of them at once, but across from her, she saw Eraqus move suddenly to his feet.

Following his gaze, Aqua gasped at the tendrils of roiling darkness writhing over the surface of the summoned orbs; the one nearest to her shot out another dazzling beam as it fought within itself, and Aqua let out a short cry as it grazed her arm, clamping her hand over the mark it left there.

Her eyes found Terra, but her own feelings of bewilderment she could see etched on his face as well; then, abruptly, he flinched backwards as one of the orbs passed him by, raising a hand as though to shield his eyes against its glow. The reaction surprised Aqua, and she lowered her Keyblade for just a moment to contemplate him.

 _Is it really too bright for him?_

She gasped and jumped backwards as one of the wayward orbs attacked her; never before had this particular exercise proved such a challenge, and she didn't understand what had happened. It seemed...wrong, somehow. Those squirming tendrils, and the power they exuded...

With great difficulty, she struck one down, and then another, only just managing to deflect a third as it fired a searing beam of light in her direction. An additional challenge? It didn't seem like Master Eraqus's style. Lifting her Keyblade skyward, she called down a round of thunder to strike the cluster or orbs closest to her, slowing them down enough to where she could leap forward and deliver the finishing blow.

"Aqua!"

With a gasp, Aqua turned, her eyes widening...she felt as she were moving in slow motion as she faced the large orb that she found hurtling toward her, her limbs heavy and her heart sinking. Belatedly, she began to lift her Keyblade, for this orb different from the others; it was pitch-black, exuding a deep, dark energy she did not recognize. It roiled with power, shuddering and expanding as it picked up speed, barreling straight toward her. The air around it crackled with that sinister energy, and for the first time, fear struck a chord in her heart. She wasn't going to be able to deflect it in time, she was going to be struck down by the unknown force and –,

She didn't recognize the flurry of darkness that materialized in front of her at first, but then it took form; inexplicably, it became Terra, his back to her once more as knocked her away and faced the oncoming attack. At his side, his Keyblade charged with dark power, his arms shaking from the effort of containing it...as it grew and pulsated, he swung his blade upwards and released the energy all at once; it collided with the incoming assault, causing a shockwave of Darkness to knock them all backwards and shatter the stained glass on the high windows.

"Be gone!" Eraqus's voice was thunderous; there was a blinding flash of light that filled the entirety of the great hall, disintegrating the remaining orbs in an instant. "Terra!"

Aqua pushed herself up on the floor, her eyes wide as she gazed up at Terra. Banishing his Keyblade, Terra looked down at his own hands, his expression one of mingled confusion and horror...Master Eraqus was approaching furiously, but Aqua could see the look in Terra's eyes from where she had fallen; he didn't understand any more than she did, hadn't meant to –,

"Terra!"

Terra turned to face Eraqus, his hands still held out limply in front of him as though he were pleading for an explanation. "Master, I–!"

Chains of pure, brilliant light shot from the end of Eraqus's outstretched Keyblade, and Aqua gasped in alarm as they shot rapidly around Terra's body, suspending his arms at his sides and his feet a few inches above the polished floor, tightening around the expanse of his chest and pressing against the rapid beat of his jugular...

"Master Eraqus, stop!" Aqua pleaded, on her feet again in an instant. "Please–,"

"Time and time again!" Eraqus fumed. "No matter how I lead you away from the Darkness, Terra, you only run right back to it! How dare you use that power within these walls!"

"Master, please!" Aqua tried again, her fingertips gripping the rough material of his sleeve while the light of the chains glowed fiercely. "Terra was only trying to –,"

"I know what he was trying to do!" Eraqus rumbled, turning his sharp gaze down on Aqua as he wrenched himself free from her grasp. "And he succumbed to the Darkness to do it!"

"Now, Eraqus, don't be so hard on the boy." There was an almost pandering note to Master Xehanort's tone, as though he were trying to contain some kind of long-suffering amusement. "He only meant to help. After all, need I remind you that I, too, was once so misguided."

Eraqus swung his arm around vehemently. "No student of mine will follow down such a path! Terra...I will purge this infernal Darkness from within you if it is the last thing I do! Aqua...be gone from this place. Your evaluation will have to wait."

Aqua faltered, torn as she stepped between Eraqus and Terra with her hand to her chest, facing them.

"Master, don't send me away! Let me explain..."

Explain what, she didn't know, but she knew the Master had misunderstood.

"Be gone, Aqua! Or would you disobey me as well?"

Eraqus's eyes were ablaze as he looked down upon her, his gaze so powerful that she withered somewhat beneath it, lowering her eyes. Far be it for either of them to disobey their master, not on purpose. That she was lingering at all...

Fighting an invisible force that rooted her feet to the ground, Aqua lowered her head and, unable to cast a second glance toward any of them, banished herself from the hall...once outside the heavy doors, she sank to her knees, her eyes closing and her hands clutched to her chest as a blinding light burst out suddenly through the cracks, the high windows, the arching skylights, briefly illuminating the entire grounds like a massive beacon along with the echoes of familiar screams coming from within.

For all its splendor, the library held no books on the Darkness, save for mention of it in the legend of the Keyblade War. It was a forbidden topic in The Land of Departure, after all...in her youth, Aqua had asked Master Eraqus about it on several occasions, however briefly. But asking only angered her master, and he had forbidden her from speaking of it again. He had taught them long ago that Darkness had no place in the universe, that as Keepers of the Light, it was their sworn duty to eradicate that Darkness at every turn, until only the Light remained. That was all their was to it, and he would not tolerate their contemplations of it.

Aqua let her fingertips trail aimlessly along the spines of the dusty tomes, listless. She had read all the ones about magic twice over by now, less so the ones about the history of the Keyblade; she found them dull, though she'd never admit it, understanding that they were an important part of her studies. There were a few even about other worlds, but those seemed to have taken up permanent residence on her dresser...she knew she should return them in case Terra, or even Master Eraqus, wanted to read them, but she herself read them so often that there never seemed to be a good time to give them back.

The chill in the air told her night was fast approaching, and so she set one more book atop the small pile in her arms and then relented to start the long trek back to the east wing. The grounds had been silent for quite some time by now, yet the stillness unnerved her; she'd not seen another soul since she left the training hall, though she knew that Master Xehanort, at least, must have returned home by then. She cast the thoughts from her head, for there wasn't much else she could do, and picked up her pace, head ducked low as the sound of her shoes clicking on the tile echoed throughout the empty library.

She wondered how long it would be before she was summoned. Eraqus had told her to be gone, which meant she shouldn't expect to resume training until he called for her again. Perhaps it would be tomorrow, but then again, perhaps it wouldn't be. Days could pass, maybe more...of course, that was no excuse not to continue training and studying on her own, but the prospect was grim nonetheless. Always in the silence.

Hugging the books resolutely to her chest, she braved the chill of the evening, her footsteps quick upon the cobbled grounds. It was only through her compulsion to pause and cause up at the stars as she reached the crest of the hill that she realized she was not alone. The tip of her foot dragging idly across the ground as she slowed to a halt, she was surprised to see Terra sitting with his back to her beneath the night sky much the same way she had spotted him the night before, and many nights before that.

Aqua lingered, though she knew she shouldn't...for some reason, it was her first inclination to scold him for sitting with his legs hanging over the ledge like that, but she knew she did the same thing often enough.

She turned away again, started back toward her room once more before she found herself hesitating again, glancing toward the crest. Of their own accord, her feet carried her toward that same ledge, uncertainly at first, and then with more purpose.

Terra seemed not to notice her at first...his eyes were hazy, closing slowly every so often as he looked out over the cliff, his breathing faintly labored still. Aqua set her books down beside him, and, with a start, he looked around in surprise, his eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Aqua..."

Aqua offered him a slight smile in return, leaning against the side of the crumbling ledge to face him...Terra shook his head.

"What are you doing here?"

Aqua cast her gaze to one side. "Well...I didn't get the chance to thank you, for earlier."

Terra looked back out over the ravine, unconvinced. "The Master banished you from the hall before Xehanort could evaluate your progress...you're supposed to stay in the east tower until he says otherwise, aren't you?"

Aqua nodded. "Mm. But...you saved me from that thing, whatever it was. If I'd been hurt, I'm sure I'd need to stay in the tower much longer than that, right?"

Terra offered a faint noise, almost a chuckle, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards briefly. "I suppose you would."

Glancing down, he reached for the top book on her stack, skimming the cover, but hearing her sharp intake of breath beside him, he hesitated.

"Terra..."

Briefly alarmed, Aqua's expression then grew crestfallen, almost fearful as his arm caught the moonlight, illuminating the chain patterns seared lightly into his skin...slowly, she turned his palm face-up to see the other side, his fingertips trembling slightly from the shock of the burns as she did so.

 _'They say the light burns brightest in the deepest darkness.'_

"Terra...where does the Darkness come from?"

Terra glanced briefly toward her, then up at the twinkling stars in the night sky above them, and Aqua saw belatedly the same remnants of the magical chains coiled around his neck as well, creeping down toward his neckline.

"I'm not sure," he responded quietly. "It's like it gets...drawn out of me before I even realize it's there. Like it isn't there at all, until it is."

Tracing her fingertips over the marks on his arm, Aqua nodded in realization. "That's why you held back today. You sensed it inside you...you fear it, too."

Terra lowered his eyes in contemplation. "...I fear what I could do with it. Maybe...I was even the one who tampered with those targets today, too, without realizing it. Who else could have?"

They lapsed into silence for a while, but it wasn't the drawn-out silence to which Aqua had so become accustomed. While melancholy, it was still comfortable in a way; it lacked the solitude she had come to associate with the concept.

"...Here."

Lifting Terra's arm gently again, she held her hand just above the marks, a soft glow encompassing her palm that began to spread gradually between them...for a moment, Terra's eyes drifted shut, his knotted expression clearing, and a smile touched Aqua's features until he suddenly snatched her wrist, inciting

a sharp noise from her as the healing light died away.

"Don't," he murmured. "The Master will know you came to me...I've never been good with magic."

He pulled his arm from Aqua's reluctant grip, offering her a slight smile, but she lingered regardless with a pained expression, wanting to help in some way. She shook her head.

"Terra...when we become Keyblade Masters, then...even if you do turn to Darkness, I'll always be your guiding Light. I'll make sure you always find your way back."

Terra straightened a little, the surprise etched in his features softening into a gentle smile, though there was a touch of sadness to it as well.

"Then I'll be your Darkness," he murmured. "So your Light will always shine bright."


	3. Chapter 3

For Aqua, the days passed without incident – how could they not, when not a single soul crossed paths with her?

It was only because the hours she whittled away were passed by so slowly that she realized that her birthday was passing with them. Normally, a special dinner was in order for a birthday, and perhaps a gift – usually a new book to study from – and most often, for the master's birthday, she and Terra tried, in their own ways, to do something meaningful to please him...but she'd seen neither Master Eraqus nor Terra since that day.

The prospect frightened her, although she knew it shouldn't. This wasn't the first time that the Darkness had manifested within Terra, and she could expect to be left alone for some time until the master's rage was quelled, until he was satisfied that Terra was rid of it completely. But even so, she worried that somehow, Eraqus knew. He knew that they'd spoken, that they had met with each other outside of their carefully supervised training with him...and, belatedly, she knew that he would only blame Terra for it, blame the Darkness for making him disobey. She should have gone straight back to her room that night, like she was supposed to...

 _Was it also the Darkness that drew me away?_

Terra had said the Darkness came upon him without warning, that he'd never meant to use it, never even realized it was there until it was...perhaps it was no different for her. Maybe the Darkness was taking her over, and she didn't even know it...

 _'I'll be your Darkness...so your Light will always shine bright.'_

After a while, Aqua realized she had been staring at the same page in her book without reading any of it. Finding herself listless, she cast her gaze out the window instead, lingering upon the grounds far below as an unprompted and long-forgotten memory floated up from the depths of her subconscious. Barely knee-high, she and Terra clashed with toy swords, chasing one another around the cobblestone platforms...their laughter carried on the warm breeze, and they both waved as they spotted Master Eraqus approaching. He waved back, then chuckled good-naturedly as they both charged at him with their small wooden weapons, letting himself be pulled all the way down to his knees before embracing them both and lifting their feet off the ground despite their giddy protests.

Tracing her fingertips idly over her lips, Aqua smiled fondly at the memory even as the ghosts of the past vanished from her line of sight. It all seemed so long ago now, though she couldn't imagine what had made her think of it in the first place. Rising to her feet, she strayed from her room, the recollections carrying her feet down the spiral staircases and through the atrium...sure enough, stored away and long since collecting dust, she came across a few boxes of old belongings, kneeling beside them to look through the stash. The little wooden swords seemed so light and ill-fitted now as she lifted them, fingertips tracing over the myriad of nicks and cuts that marred the surface.

The brittle grain also beckoned another reminder, and she looked over one shoulder to the stone steps that led outside, small voices echoing through her subconscious. With their knees to their chests, they crouched over the waterstone half-embedded in the dirt...prying it out with the tip of his wooden sword, Terra turned it over skeptically, but Aqua was undeterred.

" _I'm going to place a magic spell on it, see?"_

" _Well, what kinda spell?"_

" _I'll show you."_

A warm glow illuminated their curious faces and wide eyes...clenched in her little fist, Aqua squeezed the stone tightly, then uncoiled her fingers so they could both look at it.

" _Did it work?! How'd you do that?"_

" _Magic's easy. Here!"_

She pushed the stone into his hand, then wrapped her arms around her knees, beaming.

" _It's warm..."_

" _It's a good luck spell! Sooo, if you carry it...you'll always have good luck!"_

" _Hey, come here. I have something I wanna show you, too..."_

The hazy memory began to fade again, back into the depths of Aqua's subconscious, as a bell tolled in the distance. She rose to her feet, setting the toy sword back in its box, and started like clockwork toward the the far west building. Her demeanor was one of cautious optimism, and yet, she still wasn't surprised to find the dining hall empty and dark upon her arrival. She allowed her eyes to cast downward only for a moment, however, before turning on her heel to fix herself something to eat, taking her meal outside and settling upon the stone steps as she looked over the grounds.

"Happy Birthday," she murmured lightly, her eyes turned toward the sunset.

From where she sat, however, with the orange glow cast upon those crumbling stairs, she found herself with little to do but reminisce once again – memories of a fonder time, one mostly forgotten save for those precious few.

 _"Hey, come here. I have something I wanna show you, too..."_

The distant sound of children crying echoed reached her ears, but the memory was disjointed at best...a phantom pain passed inexplicably through her body, and as she looked to the base of the steps on which she sat, she saw the two children again. Terra stood over her as she lay on her side, holding her wrist as she hiccuped and sobbed. Tears streamed freely down his young cheeks as he looked down at her, the shattered pieces of the waterstone forgotten at his feet.

" _Aqua! Aqua!"_

" _...Aqua!"_ Master Eraqus's voice rolled like thunder across the grounds, and as she turned, she half-expected to see him there.

However, it was a much younger Eraqus that hurried past her down the steps to where the two children were, his face lined with concern and alarm.

" _You two...what happened?!"_

" _Oh, Eraqus...I'm sorry to say I was too late. I tried to stop the boy, but the Darkness simply poured out of him..."_

Aqua's eyes narrowed slightly, straining to remember, and turned slowly once again to look over her shoulder...and yet, the shadowy figure that stood there, she could not place in her memory. There was a sense of familiarity about it, niggling at the back of her mind, and she strained to place it, but to no avail, and soon enough, her attention was drawn away again.

" _Terra!"_ Eraqus's voice was fraught with rage, and she turned back toward the scene playing out before her. _"How could you?!"_

He knelt at the little girl's side, lifting her into one arm as she cried...Terra, too, reached out to her, his own face still streaming with tears, but Eraqus knocked his hand away sharply.

" _Master, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to...it wasn't me, I swear, I–,"_

" _Silence! I won't hear of it!"_ Eraqus rose to his feet with Aqua, his eyes ablaze. _"Be gone from this place – I will deal with you later. For now, I must tend to Aqua..."_

He stormed off with her in tow, and the phantoms began to fade again, leaving Aqua to continue ruminating in silence on the stone steps.

"...That's right," she murmured finally, setting her chin idly in her hand. "I'd forgotten...I got hurt, because of the Darkness. That's how it all started..."

It didn't matter now, for it could not change the years that had passed, nor much else. Clearing her plate, Aqua rose to her feet and dusted herself off, reasoning to herself that at least she could visit the library undisturbed when there was no one around. A price well paid.

Except that it wasn't.

It had been a while since she perused the dusty shelves for knowledge on Darkness and Light. She wasn't sure what she expected to find, especially considering the collection primarily belonged to Master Eraqus, but she was determined to find...something. Becoming a Keyblade Master, she knew, was the only future for her, and yet, not for the first time, that dream had never seemed further away. And even if it wasn't...was it really a dream she wanted to achieve alone?

 _'Those that dwell in Darkness have no business becoming masters of the Keyblade.'_

She knew the sentiment by heart, they both did. It was why Eraqus held them so close to the Light...so that they could fulfill those dreams of becoming the next Keyblade Masters. And yet...

 _Keyblade Masters are supposed to use Light to defeat the Darkness. But...how does that work, if even Master Eraqus can't drive the Darkness out of Terra?_

She paused by one of the shelves, her hand curling absently over her chest.

 _Or is Terra...beyond salvation?_

Aqua stood in the library for a long time, and it was only as the lanes between the towering shelves began to steep themselves in the dark of the evening that she realized how much time had passed. Unable to stand the deep silence of the library any longer, she relinquished her search and started back toward her room instead; a well-traversed path. She yearned instead to go toward the sealed training hall, where she knew both Terra and the master likely resided, but she knew it was forbidden, at least until Master Eraqus was satisfied that the Darkness that plagued their home had abated. The light that still often streamed from the high windows and cracks in the foundation of the building held little meaning to her, but Eraqus had explained the concept to her once when she asked, even if his details were lacking. She knew that he was exposing Terra to the Light, again and again, until it drowned out the Darkness...until it didn't hurt him anymore. It was for his own good, Eraqus had explained, the only way to help him, and that she should stay away until it was done. He told her it was all right, and not to think any more on it. But he told her that every time he took Terra away.

But perhaps it wouldn't work, after all...and perhaps neither of them would ever come back.

Shutting the door to her bedroom quietly, Aqua leaned against it for a moment, feeling uncharacteristically listless. She reminded herself that, since the day was almost over, in fact, that her birthday was almost over as well. And there wasn't any need to be exceptionally sad on days that weren't her birthday.

Settling at her desk and clicking on the light there, she began to gather a few pieces of wire and glass she had collected in one of the drawers...she had yet to make a successful Wayfinder, finding them notably more difficult to fashion without any seashells around (like the ones in her books), but she was getting closer. The shape, she found, had to be quite particular, and challenging to replicate when she didn't have the proper tools.

She began to coax the wire through one of the holes she had made in the glass film, her long fingers nimble with the delicate work, but then paused, a glint catching her eye from the head of the desk.

Setting down the unfinished Wayfinder, Aqua reached for the little trinket sitting atop a patch of torn parchment. On the paper, a messy scrawl she barely recognized, and yet, as she read it, immediately identifiable.

 _Aqua – even Keyblade Masters need a little luck._

 _Happy Birthday._

Aqua looked from the note to the trinket, letting it fall from her hand and dangle in front of her face...a keychain for her Keyblade, one of crudely crafted silver, the center inlaid with a stone. It caught the light, glittering faintly, and Aqua's eyes widened for a moment.

 _He kept the pieces..._

Sure enough, the gem in the middle was fashioned from a piece of the broken waterstone she had tried to give Terra so many years ago, the one on which she had cast a spell. It glowed faintly as she touched it, and despite herself, Aqua felt a smile spreading slowly over her face uncontained, as though the magic of the stone had cast some invisible weight from her. Closing both hands around the keychain, she held it close to her chest.

"Terra...you'll be all right," she uttered lightly. "The Darkness doesn't have you yet."

Carefully, she opened her palm to gaze upon the small trinket again, then turned it over to look at the back, at the word etched in in the silver there.

" _Stormfall_." A faint smile played across her features. "What a pretty name."


	4. Chapter 4

Beneath the cold, hard exterior of her visor, Aqua's expression was pensive as she powered through the void, holding fast to the handlebars of her glider lest the pressing darkness of the Lanes Between drag her down, down, down into oblivion. At her back, Terra's armor was lifeless, but her shoulders showed no signs of strain beneath his weight. Save for the sound of jets at the foot of the glider, the silence that pressed in around them was absolute.

There was no time to dwell on any of it; she couldn't, fearing that if she did, hope would succumb to despair, and they would never find their way...before long, they would be caught. They had to keep going. She had to keep going.

In the distance, like a twinkling beacon in the darkness, she caught sight of their destination...skeptical at first, but, as it materialized, she became incredulous.

"Could it be...?" She glanced over her shoulder, setting a hand lightly against the metallic-bronze arm draped over her own. "Terra, it's okay. We're somewhere safe now."

There was little response, but with the new world materializing before them, she could not be deterred. With fresh resolve, she gripped the handlebars of the glider still more tightly and powered toward it, an explanation for their arrival already building in her mind. There would be no fooling the master of the Mysterious Tower, and so, she prepared to recap all that had happened...

" _Aqua."_

With a sharp intake of breath, Aqua's eyes flew open in the darkness of the room, gazing up at the mismatched patterns that cut across her ceiling from the early morning light. Once awake, she found herself very much alone, and yet the fading echo fleeing along with her subconscious seemed so tangible, so vivid.

"Is...someone there?"

No one was, though. Aqua lay back again for a moment, but with the inklings of dawn dimming the night sky outside her window, she was abruptly restless. For the first time in a long while, she would see Master Eraqus and Terra again that day, and she was looking forward to it immensely; she missed them both a great deal, yearned for things to be as they had been. Never before had so much time passed since she had seen them, and perhaps that meant that this time, finally, their childhood home would be rid of the Darkness for good.

 _Maybe the master would allow Terra and I..._

She shook her head before the thought could fully form, disregarding it; time spent hoping was time better spent on other things, she knew well. Besides, even if she was forbidden to see Terra outside of training, at least she could see Master Eraqus again, talk to him. It was a limited dynamic, but they made it work – they always had.

Resigned to the fact that she was fully awake, Aqua resolved to start her training early that day...passing by her desk on the way out the door, she hesitated at the sight of the keychain that Terra had left her for her birthday. Still, she knew she couldn't use it, not without the master asking questions about where it had come from...even so, that didn't stop her from pocketing the trinket before she left.

The horizon burned a bright orange as she crossed the grounds, chasing away the morning chill in the air. The Land of Departure always looked its most beautiful at dawn, the sunrise setting ablaze the emerald-capped buildings and causing them to glitter faintly, the arched windows like fire and the spiraling grounds cast in a warm glow. Aqua lingered to gaze upon them at the door to the training hall, smiling a little at the sight, before slipping inside at last, her breath catching in her throat as she did so.

It was to her immense surprise that she saw, in the very center of the polished, circular floor, Terra's familiar silhouette with his back to her...a smile broke over her features and she called out to him before she could stop herself, the armored soles of her shoes echoing into the high ceilings as she crossed the room.

"Terra!"

He didn't so much as turn toward her from where he stood, however...curiously, Aqua hurried around to his front, hands linked idly behind her back as she ducked to peer into his face.

"Terra?"

But Terra's blue eyes looked past her, absent something identifiably _Terra_ she only now realized she had taken for granted until it was gone. Listlessly he stood, undeterred by the crumbling smile on Aqua's lips as she gazed up at him...the way he stared through her made her question, if only for a moment, if she even existed, and question shortly afterwards whether his idle gze had always been the color of storms in the distance.

Aqua took a step backwards without meaning to, her gaze washing over him...breathing in, she looked upon the chain pattern marks that still adorned his arms, down to his limp fingers at his sides, then took another step backwards as she returned her eyes to his face, slowly shaking her head.

"What..." Absently, her fingers curled at her chest, at the beast of confusion and fear stirring within her. "This...isn't right..."

It was with the vaguest indications that Terra's head turned at her words, his blank eyes upon her...the listless expression he wore was almost sad, in a way, and Aqua's breath caught hesitantly in her throat as his body turned toward her more fully...not daring to move, her eyes darted between his far-off, listless expression and the hand that was suddenly reaching out to her. Gentle fingertips extended toward her face with purpose, and Aqua's heart pounded in her chest, which rose and fell heavily as she gazed into his lifeless eyes.

"That's enough."

Terra cringed visibly as a swift hand caught his wrist, and as his expression twisted in pain, Aqua turned in bewilderment to Master Eraqus, her eyes widening at the smoke issuing faintly from his hand around Terra's arm.

 _The Master's Light..._

"Master, no!" Aqua cried out, imploring. "Please stop..."

Eraqus released Terra's wrist as he turned toward Aqua in surprise, and his student slumped a little beside him, a burning handprint visible over the chain link patterns on his arm...Eraqus shook his head at the sight of it, painfully exasperated.

"Still, Terra?! Was your rejection of the Darkness a mere ruse?!"

He summoned his Keyblade at his side, but Aqua stepped suddenly between the two of them. She didn't know what possessed her, and perhaps the Darkness had taken her too, but she moved without thinking, spreading her arms as she faced the master, fearfully defiant.

"Aqua!"

"I won't let you do this, Master!" Aqua's voice wavered, but there was resolve behind it, and she held his gaze unflinchingly. "I won't let you...hurt Terra again."

"Step aside, Aqua!" Eraqus's expression was one of supreme disappointment as he gazed down upon her, his tone leaving little room for argument. "You would allow Terra to fall to Darkness?!"

Aqua shook her head rigorously, stretching her arms still further outward as she stood in front of Terra.

"I won't let that happen, either," she decided. "I'll find...another way. Not like this!"

Eraqus was undeterred, raising his Keyblade with great reluctance toward her.

"Foolish child," he uttered. "You understand nothing. I will not allow either of you to be taken by the Darkness – even if it comes to this. Now, there isn't time. I implore you, Aqua – step aside!"

"NO!"

Eraqus bowed his head. "I must pass. You know better than to interfere with this, Aqua."

Abruptly, he swung his Keyblade up over his head, and Aqua's breath caught in her throat, its movement reflected in her widening eyes...in her disbelief, her limbs would not cooperate, and all she could do was stand there, turning her head away at last to brace against the strike of the blade...

In her very bones, Aqua felt the trembling vibrations of a resounding _clang_ as metal collided with metal...immediately, she opened her eyes again with a sudden intake of breath to the massive bronze Keyblade that materialized before her.

Terra's blank eyes lifted to meet with Eraqus's, expressionless as he shielded Aqua from the attack...without warning, she found herself suddenly cast aside, crashing heavily to the floor in a way that had her reminiscing their last training session with Master Xehanort. By the time she had got her bearings again, Terra had raised his weapon once more to Eraqus, passionless movements as he gazed blankly through his master.

"Terra," Eraqus uttered darkly, raising his own weapon again as well.

But Terra remained steadfastly in front of Aqua, seemingly unmindful of his disobedience...in a flurry of movement, they lunged at one another, their Keyblades striking one another repeatedly as they parried the attacks. The sight cast despair into Aqua's heart, and she reached out, shaking her head.

"Master Eraqus...Terra...please, stop this!"

Eraqus parried Terra's next attack and knocked him backwards...catching himself, Terra's blank eyes turned toward Aqua at the sound of her voice.

Light burst from the end of Master Eraqus's Keyblade, and Aqua flinched, shielding her eyes from the unbearable brightness as it filled the entire room. As it cleared, it took her a moment to adjust, but Terra was motionless on the floor by the time she did, their master standing over him forlornly with Keyblade in hand.

" _That's enough_!"

No more. After so much time...

Striking the circular impression on her arm, Aqua felt battle armor closing around her body...she moved on instinct, tossing her Keyblade into the air and jumping just as it rematerialized into its Glider form. Feet latching securely into each side of it as she landed, Aqua leaned forward and powered forward just as Eraqus lifted his Keyblade again. In one fell swoop, she snatched Terra from the floor at the master's feet, casting open a portal to the Lanes Between high above them and hurtling through it without a backwards glance.

 _I'm sorry, Master..._


	5. Chapter 5

From the oval floor of the Mysterious Tower, Aqua gazed up imploringly at Master Yen Sid, her eyes pleading. Where she was crumpled, she held Terra in her arms, but he had not spoken nor stirred since their departure.

"Master, please understand," she uttered, having concluded her explanation of all that had transpired, her voice strained. "I had no other choice."

With his back to them, the great Master Yen Sid cast an audible sigh, bowing his head. He had not spoken since their untimely arrival, since finding them both unexpectedly in his abode...face lined in deep contemplation, it was only when Aqua spoke again that at last he turned, approaching the two of them grimly.

As he did so, however, Terra drew back in his slumber, flinching from the Light cast down by the Master's presence...in turn, Aqua tensed as well, gazing upon Yen Sid with trepidation, but he ceased moving toward them as he caught the movement. Wisened old eyes washed over the marks on Terra's arms, the handprint around his wrist, and at last, he heaved a deep sigh.

"Eraqus, my old friend..." he rumbled. "You go too far...what path has the Light led you down?"

Aqua lowered her eyes for a moment, then looked upward toward the wizard hopefully once again.

"So...may we stay here, Master?" she petitioned in earnest. "You won't...tell anyone, will you?"

"Aqua," Yen Sid rumbled with deep regret, giving them his back once more. "Eraqus is an old and dear friend of mine...and a fellow Master, to boot. I am afraid I have no choice but to alert him of your arrival."

Aqua drew back with a soft gasp, drawing Terra more closely to her chest on instinct as her heart plummeted inside of it. She shook her head as though to dispel Yen Sid's decision, a wave of defeat crashing over her at his words.

"Master..."

"-That being said," rumbled Yen Sid, and she looked up cautiously toward his back. "To reach out to a friend so far away is no simple feat. I suspect it may take some time..."

Aqua gazed at him for a few long moments, then drew herself up as the realization dawned on her, renewed determination settling upon her features.

"Right," she nodded. "I understand."

She moved as though to rise to her feet, but then hesitated again, her eyes lowering. Was it the Darkness, ebbing away at the strength she kept trying to muster?

"But I..." She shook her head. "What next? Where...would we go? How could we even survive it?"

It seemed so bleak, and with so much uncertainty. She took a deep breath.

"And...Terra. What if he never..."

"Aqua," Yen Sid uttered again, and she was startled by the fact that he was smiling wanly as he looked over his shoulder toward her. "You give yourself too little credit. There is something unique about the Light that shines from you...let it guide you, and you will undoubtedly find your way. Believe in yourself the way that Terra believes in you."

Aqua looked up in surprise, the words catching her off-guard.

"Wh...what do you..."

Yen Sid gave a low chuckle. "Have you not noticed? In a world where the Light of others has done him nothing but harm, this young man rests peacefully in yours now."

Aqua's eyes grew wide, and the sorcerer's sentiment struck her all at once...somehow, he reality of that which was right in front of her had not come upon her until that moment, and she looked down at Terra as it did. Why hadn't he since shied away from her Light, the way he did with Masters Eraqus and Yen Sid? Suddenly, she recalled the last time she had seen him, right after the incident in the training hall during Xehanort's visit. She had taken his arm then to see the marks left there by the chains of Light that Master Eraqus had unleashed, and yet...her touch had not lingered upon his skin the way Eraqus's had around his wrist before their escape, and even now...

Realizing that a smile had come upon her stunned face, Aqua turned her head away self-consciously, and then, with renewed resolve, she summoned her Keyblade.

"Master Yen Sid...thank you." Striking her pauldron, her armor materialized around her once more, and she hoisted Terra up as the portal opened before them back to the Lanes Between.

"Come on, Terra," she uttered softly, so that only he could hear. "Let's go."

Traveling aimlessly through the dark passageways between the worlds, without a known destination in sight, time held little meaning, and Aqua wondered if they would ever escape it. It seemed their journey was near endless, with nothing but distant stars that never drew closer...the darkness pressed in around them, cold and perpetual, so close that it seemed to swallow the light emanating from Aqua's glider at her feet.

"It just keeps going, forever," Aqua murmured, but even her own voice did not carry into the gloom, swallowed up like everything else. "Maybe we'll...fade away together."

 _No...I can't think like that. There has to be a way out...we have to find another world._

Draped limply over her shoulders, Terra's arm twitched...startled, Aqua twisted to look back at him, his sleeping face barely visible through his visor. Breath catching, she felt his fingers slide over her own as she gripped the handlebars of the glider, gently veering their course. Aqua gazed at him incredulously for a moment or so, but then her face softened into a smile, and she turned back around to face forward.

"So you can see in the dark. You're used to it." She shook her head. "Well...that's fine. If you ask me...nobody can see that well in the dark without a little light to guide them anyway. If you can even find your way through this place...yours must shine pretty brightly, after all."

Smiling, she let Terra steer them through the Lanes Between, deeper and deeper into the darkness of the void until, finally, she saw a light in the distance.

The other worlds were nothing anything like Aqua had ever seen. The one in which she found herself, in some ways, was almost reminiscent of the Land of Departure, with its looming and intricate architecture, sprawling courtyards, and gushing waterways, and yet, at the same time, it was nothing alike at all. To Aqua, it was almost like a kingdom, the kind she had only read about in dusty old books from the library. A great castle loomed over the bustling town, gushing and grunting with cogs and gears and steam and all kinds of things to keep it running in all kinds of ways she could only fathom...below it, houses packed side by side, cobbled streets and walkways, a stretching plaza filled with fountains. More than anything, everywhere she looked, the citizens of the world went about their business; chatting at storefronts, hurrying this way and that, engaging in idle conversation as they passed on the street.

Indeed, it was only because a kindly old duck spotted the two outsiders in their midst and took pity on them that they were able to find shelter...the only bill they had to worry about, he assured Aqua, was the one he used to give young whippersnappers like them a proper talking to, waving off the laughably meager amounts of munny she had on her person when she tried to offer it.

"Just ye take to the room, now, lass, and don't be worrying about any of that," was what he had said.

He left them be once he had set them up with a room at a small inn near the middle of town...meager accommodations though they were, it was all brand new to Aqua, and she marveled at their surroundings even as she set Terra down upon the modest bed in the corner, drawing up a chair beside him as he slept on.

"Can you believe it, Terra?" Aqua sat back on the wooden stool, feeling a weighty exhaustion settle suddenly upon her as she did so. "Another world...we're really here. We made it..."

A lengthy breath suddenly escaped her, her eyes drifting shut for a moment as she took it all in.

"Now we...we just have to figure out...what to do...next..." Stifling a yawn, she slumped forward, her head dropping precariously before she picked it back up and offered him a faint smile. "After all, we've come...all this...way..."

She was only vaguely aware of falling to the mattress at Terra's side, her expression worn but content as she slumped at his side, still half-draped over the stool as she slept.


End file.
